§ 36. Mr. MacArthurasked the Secretary of State for Scotland by which date in 1970 the employment targets contained in the Command Paper entitled The Scottish Economy, 1965–1970, will be reached.
§ Mr. RossI have nothing to add to the replies which I have given to the hon. Member on 5th February, 4th December 470 and previous occasions.—[Vol. 777, c. 400–1; Vol. 774, c. 1502–3; Vol. 770, c. 1260.]
§ Mr. MacArthurWill the right hon. Gentleman please try to do better now? Is he aware that to achieve his pre-election target he will need to create a net addition of 95,000 jobs by next year? As his achievement so far has been not a gain but a net loss of 35,000 jobs, will the right hon. Gentleman tell the House frankly how this net increase is to be achieved, when, and where?
§ Mr. RossI assure the hon. Gentleman that if his Government had left the development of the Scottish economy in a much healthier position things would be very much easier now. The hon. Gentleman knows that in respect of new jobs—
§ Mr. MacArthurIn 1966?
§ Mr. RossThe hon. Gentleman had plenty to say in his supplementary question. Let him keep quiet now.
We have achieved our target of new jobs. I have said before, and I say again, that the speed of change and the rate of decline in our older industries has been greater than was forecast. What we have to do now is to press on with even greater efforts to provide new jobs, and we are doing that. I have here the Bank of Scotland's Report in which Lord Polwarth said:
Despite all difficulties and uncertainties … the outlook for the Scottish economy … remains reasonably encouraging.The Scottish Council (Development and Industry) talks about a bonanza for Scotland. No wonder the retiring Chairman of the Young Conservatives said that the Tories in Scotland did not even speak the language of the Scottish people.
§ Mr. LawsonDoes my right hon. Friend agree that one of the biggest losses to employment in Scotland is from the badly paid agricultural industry, and that one of the biggest gains is in the highly paid electronics industry?
§ Mr. RossThat is one of the facts of change. I think I said during the agriculture debate that in the last 10 years we had lost 192,000 jobs in agriculture. The electronics industry is one of the biggest growth industries in Scotland.
§ Mr. MacArthurOn a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment.
§ Sir Knox CunninghamOn a point of order. Mr. Speaker, you have often said that private Members must not make quotations at Question Time. Is it in order for a Minister to quote?
§ Mr. SpeakerWhat binds a private Member when asking Questions does not bind a Minister. Nothing binds a Minister.